Crenshaw: Sleeping just fine while crushing corruption in SE Texas

By Brooke Crum

Published 3:00 am, Monday, August 18, 2014

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks about his staff and his hopes for the future of the office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks about his staff and his hopes for the future of the office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw sits on the edge of a couch as he talks with the Beaumont Enterprise on Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw sits on the edge of a couch as he talks with the Beaumont Enterprise on Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw listens to a question from the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw listens to a question from the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw checks his phone for a name Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw checks his phone for a name Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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A small bracelet worn in remembrance of Nick Napolitano peeks out from underneath Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw's sleeve during an interview Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

A small bracelet worn in remembrance of Nick Napolitano peeks out from underneath Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw's sleeve during an interview Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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A snow globe containing scales sits next to Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw's name plaque Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

A snow globe containing scales sits next to Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw's name plaque Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw checks news sites for mention of a meeting Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw checks news sites for mention of a meeting Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw works in his office at the Jefferson County Courthouse on Thursday. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw works in his office at the Jefferson County Courthouse on Thursday. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw organizes some of the paperwork on his desk Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw organizes some of the paperwork on his desk Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw talks with the Beaumont Enterprise in his office Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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A small stack of bracelets remembering Nick Napolitano sit on Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw's desk Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

A small stack of bracelets remembering Nick Napolitano sit on Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw's desk Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw sits behind his desk Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw sits behind his desk Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw walks underneath the shining letters spelling out his name inside the Jefferson County Courthouse on Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw walks underneath the shining letters spelling out his name inside the Jefferson County Courthouse on Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw sports polished boots with his suit Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw has only been in the office since January.
Photo taken Thursday 8/14/14
Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw sports polished boots with his suit Thursday afternoon. Crenshaw will be headed out of the office when voters elect a new district attorney in November. Crenshaw ... more

Photo: Jake Daniels

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Crenshaw: Sleeping just fine while crushing corruption in SE Texas

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Cory Crenshaw fumed for days about the car deal that ripped off his grandmother.

He wanted to do something about it, but he didn't have much influence as a student at Kelly High School.

A mentor suggested he attend law school if he were serious about helping his grandmother and others like her who had been wronged. Crenshaw said he never really thought about doing anything else.

"I just love being a prosecutor," he said inside the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office last week. Crenshaw has held the title for about six months. "You sleep extremely well at night, knowing you made a positive difference."

The difference the Beaumont native has made is palpable inside the meandering halls of the district attorney's office.

"With change comes a new energy," said Ashley Chase, an assistant criminal district attorney who has been with the district attorney's office 14 years.

The district attorney's office has 27 prosecutors and 10,000 pending cases.

For most of those years, Chase worked under Tom Maness, who retired in December, a year before his seventh four-year term was to expire. Crenshaw applied to serve out Maness' unexpired term. Gov. Rick Perry appointed the 35-year-old to lead the office in late January.

"He came in and explained that he understood the DA's office is a family, and he is a part of the family," said Melanie Levise, the assistant grand jury secretary. "And that's how we are."

Chase said the change that came with Crenshaw led to a refocusing and recommitment of the staff.

"The shake up in the infrastructure has given us some new ideas, some new abilities with the task force," she said.

Members of the task force meet regularly at the U.S. attorney's office to discuss which office would be better suited to investigate and prosecute each case.

Crenshaw said his prior relationship with Bales allowed them to bring their offices together seamlessly, but the public's disgust with corruption in the Beaumont school district and other public entities also prompted the creation of the task force, he said.

More indictments involving corruption in BISD will be handed down from the federal and district attorney's offices in the next two to three weeks, he said.

If the board of managers commissions a forensic audit, Crenshaw said that could lead to more indictments. He said he wanted a forensic audit of the 2007 bond issue and of at least the past three years' budgets.

Crenshaw requested a budget increase from the county this year - $840,000 – to help his office continue to combat corruption and violent crimes. That money would go toward three new positions: two prosecutors and a forensic accountant. It also would continue funding for the task force investigator currently on staff, Sam Kittrell, former Orange police chief.

The Jefferson County commissioners met Thursday morning for a budget workshop and told Crenshaw they planned to give him most of what he asked for - $625,000. Crenshaw said he would make that work.

After the November district attorney's election, which he opted not to run in, Crenshaw said he plans to seek one of the prosecutor positions, an executive assistant district attorney. He said he would scale back the salary for the position to make ends meet.

"The task at hand is too important to allow us not to go forward," he said. "We'll come up with the money."

Forward motion is as integral to Crenshaw's persona as the cowboy boots he wears beneath his suit.

While he acknowledges a general neglect of public corruption crimes in the past, he doesn't want to place blame for those transgressions. He wants to proceed ahead, clearing them from his path.

"Much of what we see here in Beaumont and Jefferson County has been stagnant at best, if not even going backward," he said. "One of the ways crime can flourish in a society is if no one is doing anything about it."

Some critics have said the work of the task force and even the BISD board of managers is a witch hunt focused on the black members of the community. They point to the recent conviction of former BISD employee Jessie Haynes and the indictment of BISD's former electrician, Calvin Walker, as proof.

Walker's 2012 federal criminal trial on 37 counts of fraud ended in a mistrial. The U.S. attorney dropped the charges after Walker agreed to plead guilty to the misdemeanor count of failure to file his taxes in a timely manner.

After the trial, the state comptroller's office "debarred" Walker from doing business with the state for a period of at least five years. In that agreement, Walker signed a stipulation acknowledging he altered invoices that he had filed with BISD.

Crenshaw said his office took information gathered by federal investigators for the recent state indictment of Walker, but that most of the investigation was done independently. The task force was not involved.

A jury of three black men and three white men in May convicted Haynes, former assistant to the superintendent, of the class B misdemeanor of obstructing a public passageway. Assistant District Attorney Chase prosecuted the case.

Crenshaw said the Haynes trial was evidence that the investigations into BISD are not about race. He said the jury staggered themselves by race when they re-entered the courtroom to demonstrate a unified verdict.

"It had nothing to do with race," he said. "It had everything to do with certain individuals within BISD who really did not think the rules applied to them.

"There will be additional indictments coming out of this office related to fraud within BISD that will not involve African Americans."

Otherwise, Crenshaw said he has received significant community support since taking office. But he does not regret not running for the election. He said that decision gave him credibility because the community realizes he's not chasing down public corruption to win an election.

"The best thing that you can do when it comes to a profession is to leave it better than you found it," he said.

Crenshaw graduated from the Texas Tech University law school in 2004 after completing his undergraduate degree at Baylor University and joined the Brazos County District Attorney's Office in 2005.

From there, he moved to McAllen in 2010 to begin his federal career as an assistant U.S. attorney. When the opportunity to transfer back to his hometown arose in 2012, he seized on it, landing in the U.S. attorney's Beaumont office.

If his plans pan out, Crenshaw will be right where he needs to be next year to continue what he started in the district attorney's office. And he can stay in the family.

"We do what we do because we love what we do," said Chase, the criminal prosecutor. "You have to be a family up here in dealing with the things we deal with and the things we have to see."